Thursday, June 11, 2009

The best part of planning a wedding is sampling food for your reception. Being gluten free…yeah, that makes it harder. But when I got an email letting me know about a gluten free bakery that could ship me samples, I came to the realization that my wedding planning isn’t harder, just different.

Austin Native Karen Morgan started Blackbird Bakery in 2008, a gourmet bake shop that offers only GLUTEN FREE goodies. Karen herself was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2002. I like knowing that the person in charge truly understands where I’m coming from with my intolerance. I often wonder when I purchase “gluten free” items from bakeries if they’ve taken every precaution.

I’ve always known that I don’t want a typical wedding cake. I really like the idea of serving shortbread, pound cake, or pies. Blackbird Bakery offers pretty much anything your heart desires. I was going to save my favorite for last…but nah, I can’t wait!!

My Favorite:

Before I bit into these little bites of heaven, I didn’t read the ingredients. So imagine my surprise when I found Maraschino Cherries in the center!!

After the kisses, I was literally on cloud 9. So I thought I would be nice and let Parrish and Max have the first taste of the GF banana bread.

Unbelievably moist. Melt in your mouth soft. Sweet but with the perfect balance of pecan. Parrish and I both LOVED it. However, his favorite was hands down the brownie!

The perfect mixture of crisp edges and fudgy goodness. I’m pretty sure that I could have eaten it all in one sitting…but Parrish finished it off before I had the chance for seconds!

Another item that I’m thinking about for the wedding was the biscotti!! I could eat these with coffee pretty much every morning.

Chocolate. Tasty with chunks of almond and actual bits of granulated sugar!

Classic. Delicious! (And absolutely no way ANYONE would know it’s GF)

Chocolate Chip Cookies!! Crispy, buttery, and just enough chocolate chips. And it must be said: I have had a ton of REALLY crappy gluten free cookies this past year. These made up for each one of those.

Millet Power Bars: part delicious childhood treat, part grown up snack. You can’t beat big chunks of real cherries!

So there you have it! Gluten free Gourmet!! And really, who deserves gourmet more than gluten free folks?! We get the short end of the stick so often!!

As for those almond kisses…do you think I could add a case to my wedding registry? :)

Friday, May 29, 2009

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tonight I was browsing wedding websites looking for inspiration, and I noticed that on several websites they mentioned a “Love Letter and Wine Box” tradition. They literally had me at wine.

So this tradition may seem a bit un-romantic to some, but not to me. Parrish and I have always had a healthy relationship. We both accept that relationships are hard work, and we love each other enough to put in the time. I honestly think that our realistic approach to our relationship is why we work so well together. That’s why I love this tradition. It’s realistic…and practical.

So the tradition goes something like this. That all sounds nice, but it needs a little modernizing. So Parrish and I will write letters to each other a few weeks before our wedding. We’ll seal the letters and put them in a large box. Also in the box we’ll add a bottle of wine that ages well and a wine opener. I think we will include a CD of music. Parrish made a mix CD for me a little over a year ago that is by far the BEST mix of music. (I’ll post the playlist soon) The members of our wedding party can tack the nails in for us. I honestly think that only my close friends will get our humor. The box will not be opened on our 5 year wedding anniversary, but will instead be saved for a night when we may need it…or when we run out of wine! :)

I thought my decision was made. I was going to use black, white, and spring green as my colors. But then I saw this photo of the white and blue milk glass with the pink flowers. Decisions, decisions.

Parrish and I do know for certain that we want an outdoor wedding with a Southern Hospitality twist. I know that I am going to incorporate to milk glass and mason jars. I love the green…but the blue..and pink!!! So pretty. I think my bridesmaids would probably be happier with the blue, white, and pink. I didn’t get too much excitement about the green.

BUT I do love this dress for the bridesmaids. I want the dress to be under $50…possibly no more than $30. I want it to flatter everyone and be comfortable. I originally wanted this dress in Berry, but seeing as how there are NO sizes left that work I may need a miracle. Does Old Navy grant wishes?

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Welcome to the new addition of my blogging family! If you're gluten free and new to me, head on over to Gluten Hates Me for the full story. I started writing Gluten Hates Me a year ago, right after I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disease that can only be treated by maintaining a gluten free life. It is NOT a fad diet. (Unfortunately!!) It is my life!

A month ago my main squeeze Parrish proposed. We hope to get married in either April or May of next year (2010), but we're still hunting for our perfect location before we set the date! -of course :) Planning a wedding can be hard, but when you add the gluten free element to the mix...it's down right difficult! I can't use (nor do I want to use) just any ol' vendor. Parrish and I are only in the early stages of planning, but we know that we want the wedding on a farm, a casually Southern theme, and there to be Cornhole at the reception!

I am a total DIY girl. PLUS I LOVE planning parties. Cross your finger that I don't end up cracking under the pressure of planning my wedding...or that my skin doesn't break out!!